Friday, September 19, 2014

Wow...I've certainly let this blog fall to the bottom of my priority list. Not only does that mean I'm not writing much, but it also means I've basically had to stop reading all my favourites too. :( So, if you've noticed my absence on your blog, I truly apologize. I miss my blogger friends and all of my social life, really.

Unfortunately, I think it might stay that way while I'm in school. It's incredibly busy. The work isn't all that hard, but the volume of work is intense. It's the kind of program that there's no way you can actually do all the work/reading assigned. Instead, you have to prioritize what actually needs to get done.

This has caused a lot of anxiety for me. In fact, by the end of week 2 I was having anxiety/panic attacks and breaking out in tears multiple times a day. I was considering leaving the program. It wasn't just the school work, but how it coupled with the stresses of home life (and how the kids were/are adjusting to their new routines - as well as mine).

I sought some help from my family doctor and counsellor, and felt better this week (compared to last week, anyway). I hope that as I continue to get into the swing of things at school and continue receiving positive feedback on my work, I will feel less and less anxious and maybe even be able to enjoy what I'm doing.

Regardless, I'm finding most of everything interesting and useful - even the more "boring" topics. One of the biggest issues I'm having right now is I wish I had more time to dedicate to the readings to really get into them. Right now, it's all about skimming and getting the hot points out so I can get the most important work done.

It's definitely a balancing act, and one that's very different from any other school experience I've had. Apparently it's good training for what life will be like as a teacher, when you're being pulled in 100 different directions and having to put fires out all day.

Monday, September 8, 2014

It was overwhelming, exciting, a bit boring at times, stressful, and fun!

I am really enjoying the majority of the courses. There are a couple that I'm not all that excited about, but I can see how they'll be useful.

One thing I've been really impressed with - as a stark contrasts to my previous university experiences - is the quality of the teaching! I guess I should have expected as much in a Faculty of Education, but I guess I just associate status-quo university style teaching with university (no matter what Faculty).

The best part is our teaching subject courses are taught by actual K-12 teachers! So, not only can they teach us about new and different teaching techniques, but can also give us tips on suggestions with how to navigate the job market, how to deal with behaviour issues, etc. Basically, they can give us an "insider" and practical perspective on what it's really like to teach K-12 students. Because it's all well and good to know the theory, but it's the practical stuff that truly makes a great teacher.

Going into my second week I still feel a bit overwhelmed, especially with the amount of reading that is assigned, but I feel more confident that I will be able to get through this, enjoy it, and come out at the end happy with what I was able to accomplish.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Today is Evan's first day of junior kindergarten! In Ontario, kids start full-day kindergarten in the year they turn 4! Seems young, but at least the cost is much lower than daycare :D

He had been acting fairly nonchalant about the whole thing - unlike me, who has been crying randomly the last couple of week thinking my baby is GROWING UP way to fast!

The last few days though, he's been getting excited about it! He was practically giddy this morning as we put his backpack together and got ready to head to school for the first time.

Both DH and I took him to school and when we got there, he didn't want to hold my hand through the parking lot because he's a BIG BOY!! (and then proceeded to bail right in front of the principal!)

We brought him into the classroom (where he'll be before/after school too - bonus!). He was a bit shy at first, holding on my leg and giving DH big hugs.

But, then he found his cubby, put his backpack in there, and then promptly found a huge bag of dinosaurs. He took them to the play area, started talking to the other boy who was there, and went to town. After that, we were pretty much invisible to him.

When we said our goodbyes, we could barely get him to stop playing for 2 seconds! This was the only picture DH could get of me and him because he was so busy!

I drove by the school on my way to MY school* and he was in a line with about 30 other tiny kids with their huge backpacks heading inside. He looked happy as a clam.

I'm so proud of my big boy!!

*I will blog about this in the next few days I hope - things are CRAZY right now!